Review: Painting Workshop (3DS eShop)

Collavier Corporation, developer of Painting Workshop, is no stranger to the world of art apps, as they released the similarly titled Comic Workshop (which we thought was a great comic drawing app) on the digital store late last year. Though there wasn't much competition for a comic drawing application, a number of excellent painting titles have appeared over the past few years, meaning Collavier needs to be on their A-game in order to make this one stand out.

Thankfully for the consumers, Painting Workshop does exactly what it intends to do, which is to provide an in-depth and functional painting or drawing application on the eShop. Painting Workshop is unique in that it can be as complex or simple as a user could want, as well as in that it offers its own unique options and tools to use in creations.

In order to explain these different options, from the simple to the intricate, Painting Workshop features 24 different Tutorials on how to properly use the application. These are all short, never taking over a few moments, and are explained well. Sometimes they can seem to drag on for too long, going over a concept you already understand, but overall do a good job of going over everything the app has to offer.

And boy, does Painting Workshop have a lot of options to offer. From your typical pencil of multiple colors and sizes, you also have access to frames, a paint bucket, blur tools, undo and redo buttons for the occasional accident, roller stamps, pictures which can be manipulated right off the SD card, and plenty more. Painting Workshop offers enough to cover almost all of the basics except for multiple drawing tools. The absence of a typical paintbrush or anything besides a pencil is a bit odd, which might turn off some artists, but ultimately the pencil works well and can be manipulated to get the job done well.

The most interesting feature of Painting Workshop might just be the ways you can interact with photos off of the SD card. You can draw on top of a photo, or draw part of it directly into your paintings for a semi, or completely, realistic look. It is a unique touch that helps to set Painting Workshop apart from other drawing apps, which is always welcome.

Painting Workshop might be a great platform for drawing and painting, but sadly it isn't the ideal place to share your works of art (or stick-figures, we don't judge- the app is great for those as well). Miiverse is your only real option, which won't do much to satisfy most users. Miiverse is decent enough to use, but doesn't come close to the usefulness of an online gallery. There is a dedicated web browser gallery to check out, and this might satisfy some artists, but it will never replace the value of one ingrained directly into the game.

Painting Workshop is an ideal app for all of your painting and drawing purposes, but a few others do exist in form of Colors!3D and Art Academy. Choosing between these three ultimately comes down to personal preference, as they all have different advantages and disadvantages. Painting Workshop ultimately triumphs in the field of options for messing around with your art, but falls short in the realm of sharing completed art online. Despite the preexisting competition, Painting Workshop is one of the best ways to draw on your 3DS, so long as you don't mind the lack of an in game community to share your works in.